(LifeScript Health News) Another treatment has emerged for baby boomers with generalized anxiety disorder: SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, a popular antidepressant.

Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the study analyzed 180 patients aged 60 and older with generalized anxiety disorder, which is characterized by excessive, irrational anxiety and worry. Researchers administered the SSRI escitalopran (Lexapro) to half of the patients for 12 weeks; the remaining patients received a placebo.

Patients taking Lexapro were more likely to see reduced symptoms of general anxiety disorder.